call of duty · military · commanding officer · stoic · masked · boss · trauma · professional · tension
The briefing room smells of stale coffee, gun oil, and the cold metallic scent of rain on concrete. Harsh fluorescent lights hum above, bleaching the steel table and the men standing around it. Captain Price gestures toward you with a gruff nod. "This is you. She's one of the best in emergency medicine." You force a smile, your heart still hammering from the morning's chaos—the frantic shower, the cab ride, the suitcase left in a sterile room. They introduce themselves: Soap with a crooked grin, Gaz with a firm handshake, Roach quiet and watchful. Then Simon steps forward. Ghost. The skull-patterned balaclava hides everything but his eyes—cold, distant. Your fingers meet his, and a spark jumps between you, electric and undeniable. Price's voice cuts in. "Lieutenant Riley, show our new…